Mohave County miner., 1887-06-18
SILVER.


Silver to the amount of 81 ,sls ,OOO, 900 IL
estimated TO hare been obtained from the
mines Of the earth, from the earliest
times ID the commencement OF the Chris
tian erl. From the date Of the latter
event 10 the discovery Of America, t825..
000, 900 were obtained; thence to the
close Of ls47, an addition Of s7,l09.0O0,. !.
600 was made; thence to the close oi
1885 there was added 1885, 900 900,
making grand total Of tl2,03I ,OO0, 600.
The average loss by abrasion Of coin IL
estimated by Professor Bowen at one per
cent. per annum, and the loss by the con.
SUMPTION in the arts and fire and ship.
wreck, ut s5 ,000, 600 per annum. A cubic
inch Of silver IL worth at 10 3-4 or 7311a
cents per ounce, 1896; cubic foot, sl6,.
e75; and cubic yard, &450,225.
Silver to the amount OF 1900, 900 900 "
estimated TO have been in existence Al
the commencement OF the Christian era
at the period of the discovery of America
it had decreased to sl35, ,000, 900; after
the latter event it gradually increased.
and in 1870 it attained 1891 900, 600; in
100 TO 81 ,4IO 900 900; i'm 1900 to g., 1922, :
000,o00; in IS43 to si,99S, 900 900; in
1858 il had decreased 10 a, ,945 900 ,0e0.
1t then gradually increased and at the
present time the amount of silver in ex-
istence is estimated TO be 81, 5,G22 ,000, 900,
which melted into one mass, could be
contained in cube OF seventy feet.
OF the amount OF silver in existence
81 ,000, 900, 900 is estimated TO be in coin
and bullion, 81 ,200, 900 900 in watches,
and the remainder in plate, iegelry and
ornaments. OF the amount in existence,
s4 ,S45, 900 900 are estimated to have been
obtained from North America, $736, ,OOO, !.
coo from South America, &63 ,00o, 900 from
Europe, *47 ,00o, 900 from Africa and $3l ).
000,00D from Asia, including Australia,
New Zealand and Oceanica. The amount
OF the precious metals in existence is e.
timatet TO be 1884 100000.
Silver, so far as its annual product is
concerned, has varied greatly at different
periods. At the commencement OF the
Christian era 1t is estimated to have been
t4,2)0 900; at the period OF the discovery
OF America it had decreased to $3.50, 900
after that event it gradually increased,
and in 1900 it had attained to 5000, 900
in 170D to SIS, 900 600; in 1890 TO $3s ,O0O,.
900; in 1s4s 20 $4,000, 900; in 1853 to
.s63, ,o0), 900, and at the present time it 10
sl2e, ,g59, 900.
Silver, in performing the function Of
money, is of great antiquify>~-4Asia was a
commercial country when Europe WAC a
wilderness; and as the Orient has not
changed her habits since the remotest
ages, silver alone is the money Of that
continent, inhabited by more than half
Of the human race and among whom pa
per money is unknown. The drachma
was tie principal silver coin among the
Greeks, containing sixty-six grains Of
purs rnetal worth about seventeen and a
half cents. II furnished the type of the
Roman denarius, containing fifty-eight
grains Of pure metal, worth about fifteen
and half cents. The silver mark war
imported into England from Denmark,
by Alfred in A. d. SO; the penny was
next issued in 1910; the groat In 1880; !;
then came the shilling In 1903, and the
crown made its appearance in 1907. The
earliest silver coin issued in France was
the livre, which appeared in 800, of the
value Of eighty cents. 1t steadily dcpre-
ciated until, I'm ls43, it was worth only
sixty cents; it then fell rapidly until the
epoch OF the Revolution. when its value
was only nineteen cents, and the franc
took its place. The Henri was. issued in
l0l2; the teston appeared in 1890, and
the conronne followed in 1910.
The first silver coin issued in the
American colonies was in 1852, by Mass
acbusetts, in the shape of pine tree
shilling. Silver coins were also issued by
the United States in 1882; dimes ap
pearei in 1893, and half dollars in 1894.
Silver, in regard to coinage, has ex-
changed places with gold since 1850.
Since 1926 the silver coinage of the
French mint has amounted to 81 SOC, ,0O0,-
900 OF francs, Of which a ,000, 900 600 has
been issued since 1850. Since 1864 the
silver coinage Of the Russian mint has
amounted to 4ss,0O0,0OO roubles, Of
which lSs, 900 900 have been issued since
1850. Since 1892 the silver coinage Of
the United States mint has amounted to
$462, ,.!zi, $40, of which $376, sol ,2S4 have
been issued since 1850. Since 1908 the
silver coinage Of the British mint has
amounted to 100000, 900 Of which Gl6,-
0O0, 900 has been issued since 1850. The
silver coinage Of the United States with
in the last decade has amounted to $780,
100000. The silver coinage Of the prin-
cipal countries Of the world increased
from s92, ,000, 900 in 1s4s to sl03, 900 900
In 1854, and to 1926, ,O00, 600 in 1876; but
since the latter date it has gradually de-
dreased, aud at the present time is but
t94 900, ,OO0.-Boston Evening Gazette.
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The Mines OF Mexico.